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(Scott Rose | City of Dowagiac)

(Scott Rose | City of Dowagiac)

(Scott Rose | City of Dowagiac)

(Maxwell Harden | Leader Publications)

DOWAGIAC — A vision for the future took root Wednesday in Dowagiac.

Community members, business owners and local and state officials gathered at the site of the former Lincoln Elementary School to celebrate the groundbreaking of six new homes on the site, which has been vacant since 2013. County and state leaders on hand for the event included Joseph Rivet, Executive Director, Michigan State Land Bank Authority Executive Director; Tonya Joy, Director of Neighborhood Housing Initiatives Division, Michigan State Housing Development Authority and  Hope Anderson, Cass County Treasurer.

City leaders said the homes – three one-story and three two-story homes with a front porch on each home – will assist with the lack of middle-market homes in the city and surrounding areas.

“This project here represents the city council really having a vision and making a promise to the community and then keeping that promise,” said City Manager Kevin Anderson. “It’s promise to clean up blight in this neighborhood, it’s promise to try to bring new housing into the community and start that rejuvenation of housing that has been needed for several decades. It’s been all about finding partners to walk and sometimes run with us as we go down that winding road to get to this point where we are today.

“The neighborhood has been key and instrumental here because they help keep us on track and keep us focused because they have put a stake in the ground and said ‘this is where we are going to live, this is our neighborhood and we want to see our neighborhood improve and be filled with other folks, too.”

Staff met with Lamoreaux Construction several months ago about the potential development of the former Lincoln School site and found its development ideas are consistent with the City Council’s vision for a residential development on that property.

“Today is a new day for this site,” said Lamoreaux Construction Owner Brian Lamoreaux. “A new chapter for the community, through the vision and leadership of the City Manager and staff, council members and of course, (mayor Don Lyons). This project isn’t just about building a beautiful neighborhood for the citizens of this community. It’s about helping to move Dowagiac forward, by bringing new people and families to the area. It is an honor for Lamoreaux Construction to be entrusted to help make Dowagiac’s vision for the future a reality, and we look forward to working with the City and officials on further projects to come.”

Over the last five years, the city has worked with MSHDA to secure more than $4.5 million in grants to support new housing and improve existing housing for residents. The Lincoln School project is one of four housing development projects taking place in the city. 

• The city is working with The Rienks Group on a Brownfield Plan for the Wounded Minnow building at 234 and 236 S. Front Street. The restaurant will remain on the lower level, and ten apartments will be built in the second and third stories of the building.
• The city purchased a parcel of vacant land in the 500 block of South Front Street and is working with Rivers Edge Apartments to create multiple apartment buildings there. They’ll provide attainable housing and continue to attract workforce talent to the city.
• The owners of FitStop24-Dowagiac worked with the city to take advantage of grant programs. That resulted in them developing four apartments on their building’s second floor, of which 75 percent are income-qualified.

According to city officials, more than 100 new housing units are being constructed in the next 18 months. 

“I can’t begin to thank the state of Michigan, the private sector and the employees of the city enough,” Lyons said. “They all work together as a team to allow us to accomplish something that would only be a dream were it not for that team. I can’t begin to express my gratitude seeing my own hometown rejuvenate itself. This is the biggest building booming since after World War II. It’s been a long time coming but here we are.”

In addition to new housing units, Dowagiac has been working hand-in-hand with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority on several grant programs, including the Neighborhood Enhancement Program. These programs are designed to assist limited-income households with making meaningful home improvements. 

At the Lincoln School site, the city leveraged the State of Michigan’s Brownfield Laws to declare it a Brownfield site. The Brownfield Plan allows the use of Tax Increment Financing to fund site preparation, sidewalks and utility services to the homes. The city also worked with the Cass County Land Bank Authority to receive funding through a State Land Bank Authority Grant program, designed specifically for demolition projects that encourage new development. 

“As you can see, while the demolition project here was quite a task, it opened up incredible possibilities for this site and the City of Dowagiac,” said Assistant City Manager Amanda Sleigh.

The development project comes as the city continues to find ways to address blight, provide affordable housing and attract workforce talent to the community. The opening of Elks Trail and the soon-to-be-completed Fire Station and Dowagiac Department of Public Services mark improvements to the city’s quality of life and infrastructure as new businesses such as Slope Frozen Treats and Isabella Grace showcase the growth in its business community.

“We believe in being an active participant in the viability of our community and ensuring a good quality of life,” Sleigh said. “For our residents, we are willing to invest and work hard with our partners to show that Dowagiac is a great place to live, work and do business.”

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